What might have been: Did taunt cost Caprock player a state record?

Caprock receiver Addison Bustos is pulled down by Lubbock Estacado's Rodrick Hall during their nondistrict high school football game Thursday at PlainsCapital Park in Lubbock. Caprock won, 43-33. Bustos had 392 yards receiving, 2 yards shy of the state record.

Caprock receiver Addison Bustos is pulled down by Lubbock Estacado's Rodrick Hall during their nondistrict high school football game Thursday at PlainsCapital Park in Lubbock. Caprock won, 43-33. Bustos had 392 yards receiving, 2 yards shy of the state record.

Caprock receiver Addison Bustos strolls into the end zone for a touchdown against Lubbock Estacado during their nondistrict high school football game Thursday at PlainsCapital Park in Lubbock. Caprock won, 43-33. Bustos had 392 yards receiving, 2 yards shy of the state record.

Caprock High School wide receiver Addison Bustos had the game of a lifetime Thursday night.

The question is, was it the best game of any lifetime for a wide receiver in the history of Texas high school football? And did a taunting penalty under a rule enacted last year cost him a state record?

Bustos shredded Lubbock Estacado’s defense in a 43-33 win in Lubbock, catching 13 passes for 392 yards and two touchdowns.

According to Dave Campbell’s Texas Football, that’s only 2 yards short of the state record for most yards receiving in a single game, set last year by Fort Worth Southwest’s Robbie Rhodes.

However, determining Bustos’ official yardage is a work in progress. One play could be key.

Bustos caught what appeared to be a touchdown pass in the second quarter, but was flagged by an official for taunting after looking back at the defender he’d just beaten.

The ball was placed at the Estacado 4-yard line, taking four yards off Bustos’ yardage total and perhaps costing him the state mark.

“I really didn’t do that much,” Bustos said. “I just looked back at (the defender) and that was it. Now it is kind of a big deal since the state record came into play.”

The taunting penalty was instituted in Texas prior to the 2011 football season. It’s a spot-of-the-foul penalty, which meant in this case, that rather than get a touchdown and those four critical yards, the play stopped at the 4, where Bustos looked back.

“I had no clue that I was even that close to a record,” said Bustos, who already has recorded two 300-yard receiving games this season.

“I was just playing and let everything fall into place. After the game, I heard someone tell me about a record but I really didn’t think about it until Coach (Seth) Parr told me.”

The numbers Bustos produced were recorded by the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal in its account of the game.

When contacted Friday afternoon, Parr said he and his staff did not have any official numbers for Bustos, and will determine his stats by reviewing game film Saturday morning.

It already ranks as one of the greatest single-game performances in state high school football history, and Bustos will have no worse than the second most prolific game by a Texas high school receiver.

Also, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations, it’s the eighth best single-game performance in the history of the country.

Still, looking back at the 4 could leave Bustos looking back for a lifetime at what might have been.

“It’s incredible just to think I could have broken a state record in that game.”